Vidarbha farmers welcome central decision to lift all restriction on cotton exports next season

Nagpur Dated-10 September 2011

3 million cotton farmers of agrarian crisis hit farm suicide prone vidarbha has welcomed decision Indian Govt’s taken after inter-Ministerial consultations between the Finance, Commerce and Agriculture ministries to lift all kind of restrictions on cotton export under the Open General License (OGL) for the next crop season beginning October. India is the world's second largest cotton producer, Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti ,activist group fighting for right of cotton farmer of vidarbha region said in press release today .

“It was long pending to keep cotton export under the Open General Licence (OGL) and we are happy that for the next cotton season to continue with the OGL regime as per decision of inter-Ministerial consultations between the Finance, Commerce and Agriculture ministries in the last two days informed by Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar for next cotton season runs from October 2011 to September 2012’Tiwari added.

Against the estimated domestic consumption of 26.4 million bales, production is pegged at 35.5 million bales next season, against 32.5 million bales in the current season, leaving room for exports, according to the Cotton Advisory Board (CAB). In fact last year wrong policies of state regarding imposition of export restriction last year created instability in the market and the price of Rs 60,000 per candy (a unit of measure) to Rs 35,000 per candy in the global market and Indian cotton farmers were forced to offload cotton ahs half price prevailing in the international market and this the intentionally done to protect handful textile industries hence vidarbha cotton farmers were demanding cotton under open general license (OGL) scheme so that they can get global market prices. west vidarbha is main cotton growing region of India were farmers are committing suicides due to on going agrarian crisis and export under open general license (OGL) is one of relief to protect the dying cotton farmers community.